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By: Alex Nikotina
Published On: August 3, 2016Being passionate about your profession and your family is a blessing. Fortunately for Vanora McLay, she was able to achieve excellence in both.
For Vanora, pursuing a career in Financial Services was a natural progression. “Back in college, I was not sure what career path to pursue,” shares Vanora. “My first degree was a diploma in General Studies. I remember taking a few business courses afterwards, and I found it very interesting; so I decided to follow through and get a Business Administration degree from BCIT.”
“After graduation, I was able to establish a few connections in the Financial Services industry, and eventually was able to get into my current role.”
“There was a time when I would think about Financial Services as solely accounting or finances – but I’ve come to learn that it is much broader than that. It’s also about helping and empowering people.”
Vanora currently works as a Sales Development Coordinator. “I spend the majority of my time doing inside and outside sales training. Part of the role involves exploring and explaining different products, and the best way to offer them to our clients; and another part is training our team and making sure that they are a resource and a support system for our advisers.”
Vanora’s favourite part of her job is coaching and training. “I really enjoy preparing for and conducting sales presentations and training sessions,” she shares. “It never gets boring – no two days is ever the same.”
“The most satisfying moment for me is seeing the results of my work. Talking to an adviser and hearing them say that a technique or a tool met the client's needs really makes me enthusiastic, and motivates me to work harder every day.”
Having worked in the industry for a few years, Vanora did not forego education and learning. “I don’t like having gaps in knowledge: I feel like I need to be on the same page with people I work with. A lot of the advisers I worked with had other designations and were keen on staying up-to-date with the changes in the financial industry. If I were to advise and train them, I knew that I also needed to be on top of my game.”
Vanora has completed her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, and also finished the Life License Qualification Program (LLQP) and Elder Planning Counselor (EPC) designation.
“I would definitely recommend others to focus on continuing their education and growth. Further designations help gain knowledge in specific areas of financial services and open doors to more opportunities.”
When asked about her current lifestyle, Vanora shares that after all, the most important aspect of her life is her family. “I recently gave birth to my daughter, who is now almost 9 months old. She is definitely a blessing, and most of my free time goes to her and to my family”.
“I don’t know what the future may bring, but I definitely would like to have a good work-life balance in my life, and dedicate my time to my family.”
We wish Vanora all the best with her family and her future endeavors!
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